Story/Plot
The country Mr. Gessler originally came from
Germany
How the narrator feels about Mr. Gessler most of the time
The narrator is very respectful of Mr. Gessler. He enters into a house of worship. He addresses him by his title "Mister," he speaks "shly," and doesn't "run up bills." Move.He always speaks politely and asks for rather than demand service.
Quote: “Dey ged id by adverdisement, not by work.” → This shows Mr. Gessler’s main value
Quality / real work / craftsmanship (over advertising)
The one-word title of the story
Quality
The point of view the story is told from
First-person narration
Why didn't the narrator "run up bills"?
Running up too large a bill would have seen disrespectful and would have been unbecoming
One word that best describes Mr. Gessler’s personality
Proud / serious / dignified / artist-like
Two specific things Mr. Gessler does that prove he takes huge pride in his work
1. Slowly feeling the foot with his fingers, 2. Makes every pair completely by hand, 3. Instantly offers money back or new boots if there is a complaint, 4. Works day and night by lamplight
What the handmade boots actually symbolize in the story
True craftsmanship / pride in one’s work / individuality
Example of sensory imagery when the narrator describes the shop
The smell of leather / the silence / the dim light
On page 141- Why does he ask his brother?
This shows that the elder brother deferred to the younger brother
How the narrator’s relationship with Mr. Gessler is different from a normal customer
It is personal / like friendship / he knows the narrator’s feet personally
Could the narrator have helped Mr. Gessler?
Perhaps it would have helped Mr. Gesler if the boots were paid for in advance, but it would have been only a temporary aid because Mr. Gesler had lost most of his customers.
The bigger idea or way of life that dies with Mr. Gessler
The life and values of the master-craftsman / handmade excellence
A metaphor or simile Galsworthy uses to describe the shop
“A little dark shrine of silence” (or similar metaphor)
On page 142 what had happened during the two years?
He had given up half the shop to another shoemaker
The “betrayal” the narrator feels guilty about
Buying ready-made boots from a big company
In the second paragraph, how we know right away that Mr. Gessler is a real expert
He is willing to take the bath boots off the bill./ He states that commercial boots are trash and that big firms have no self-respect./ He measures the foot he remembers / all the boots he has made.
Why the loss of “quality” matters even to people who never buy boots
Because when true quality disappears, something important is lost from the world
Mood created by the description of the shop
Quiet / reverent / solemn / peaceful / sad
On page 144 what does this change indicate?
Mr. Gessler had always waited until quarter day to send the bill obviously he needed the money so badly that he changed his habit indicating that he was not doing well at all
Why the narrator thinks his actions may have helped kill Mr. Gessler
The last pair the narrator ordered “hurried him so” / contributed to his death
What is the "problem" with Gessler's boots?
The problem is that the boots "last terribly;" they don't wear out so there is no excuse to buy new ones.
Main theme (in one complete sentence)
The story shows that when machines and big companies replaced individual craftsmen, the world didn’t just lose beautiful boots; it lost the idea that a person’s honor and identity can be completely tied to the excellence of the work they do with their own hands.
How first-person narration makes us feel closer to Mr. Gessler’s struggle
It makes us feel the narrator’s guilt and affection, so we care more deeply about Mr. Gessler and his struggle